Sengoku Driver
The is the transformation belt for the Armored Riders. It was invented by Ryoma Sengoku of the Yggdrasill Corporation as the first generation of Yggdrasill's transformation devices, with the Genesis Driver being the second generation. Functionality To transform, the user opens the lock on the Lockseed, which causes a dimensional opening into the Helheim Forest to materialize above them and an Armor Part that corresponds to the Lockseed used to appear from it. Afterwards, the user attaches the Lockseed onto the belt's and closes the lock to secure it into the . Finally, the user presses the knife down, which cuts open the Lockseed itself, causing the Armor Part to fall on top of the user's head and the Driver to announce the Arms granted, along with its corresponding phrase. Once on the user, the Armor Part materializes the suit and forms the helmet. Afterwards, the Armor Part disassembles to form the chestplate and pauldrons, with the Arms Weapon appearing in the Rider's hands once the transformation is complete. If the Rider is already in the Helheim Forest, the Armor Part will just materialize above the Rider from energy in the same color as the Arms armor is in. http://www.jefusion.com/2013/07/kamen-rider-gaim-enters-stage.html If the wearer of the Sengoku Driver is in danger and has unlocked a Lockseed, the Armor Part will descend quickly to shield the user from harm. Even though all the Riders use a Sengoku Driver which share the same voice, they each have a unique plate on the wearer's left hand side. Each Rider Indicator is created when the belt is first put on, locking the belt to that particular user and changing the sounds the belt makes when in use. If the Sengoku Driver is damaged to the point that it will no longer function, the Rider Indicator will return to blank. Four additional variations on the Sengoku Driver exist, all featuring silver belts rather than the yellow ones of the primary Drivers. The first appears to be a prototype, as it lacks a Cutting Blade or Rider Indicator and thus cannot be used to transform, but can still be used by Yggdrasill Corporation researchers to protect themselves from the hypnotic effects of immature Lockseeds and convert them into mature ones. This type was in use before the events of the show. The second is a full mass-production version of the primary Sengoku Driver, which are used by the Kurokage Troopers. This version lacks a Rider Indicator and does not lock to a user, but instead can be used to transform by anyone. It is implied to be weaker than the primary Drivers by some amount, as seen when Kouta and Kaito were able to put up a fight against several Kurokage Troopers without transforming. A third, different variation of the mass-production Driver is found on Ryoma Sengoku's desk and is later used by Kamen Rider Knuckle, utilizing a slightly different Pre-Arms base suit than the Kurokage Troopers (the head/helmet is different). The fourth variant Sengoku Driver is identical in appearance to the mass-production type but with a Rider Indicator, and is claimed to be stronger than the originals. This type is used by Kamen Rider Bravo and Kamen Rider Gridon from episode 17 onward. As shown, anyone who wears a Sengoku Driver, be it Riders or Yggdrasill Corporation employees, can turn immature Lockseeds into mature Lockseeds just by picking them from their stems. Wearing a Driver and locking in a mature Lock Seed in also provides nutrition to a wearer thus allowing them to survive without growing hungry. The Sengoku Driver can also combine with the Genesis Driver by replacing the former's Rider Indicator with the latter's Genesis Core. If the Rider is transformed when they activate an Energy Lockseed, it causes the normal Lockseed to close and unlock. Then, after the Energy Lockseed is inserted and both Lockseeds are locked in place, the normal Lockseed's Armor Part is sent upwards into the sky, where it merges with the Energy Lookseed's descending Armor Part to become the jinbaori-themed Jimber Armor Part, which then falls onto the Rider as soon as the Cutting Blade is pressed down, allowing them to assume Jimber Arms. If the Rider is not already transformed, they must lock both Lockseeds in place and press the Cutting Blade down, causing both Lockseed's Armor Parts to descend side by side before being drawn together to combine into the Jimber Armor Part and fall onto the user as usual. When the Cutting Blade is pressed down between one and three times, a Rider can activate a certain ability. *Once: The function can either power up a Rider's Arms Weapon for a finishing attack or allow the user to initiate a Rider Kick when infused with the fruit-shaped/nut-shaped energy of their Arms. *Twice: The function gives extra power to the Squash function. *Thrice: The function can either further enhance a Rider's finishing attack to its full potential or temporarily convert the user's Armor Part into its original fruit/nut form to spin and use as a shield. History The Sengoku Drivers were invented by Ryoma Sengoku, a scientist of the Yggdrasill Corporation's R&D Branch. As per the company's plans, the first six would be prototypes distributed to the Beat Riders of Zawame City. This way, whenever a Beat Rider transformed and fought, the Driver would collect data that would be used further by the Corporation's R&D Branch. The data collected from the Sengoku Drivers would eventually culminate in the creation of the Genesis Drivers, as well as the mass-production Sengoku Drivers used by the Kurokage Troopers. Ryoma Sengoku reveals that in 10 years time, the day the Inves take over, Yggdrasill can make one billion Sengoku Drivers, wiping out the other six billion people. Users Prototype version *Kouta Kazuraba/Armored Rider Gaim: Found by accident in the Helheim Forest. His Driver was initially purchased from Lock Dealer Sid by Yuya Sumii until the latter devoured a premature Lockseed and turned into an Inves, making him drop it for Kouta to later find. This version equips the user with a Musou Saber, its holder and a Lock Holder. *Takatora Kureshima/Armored Rider Zangetsu: Granted to him as head of Yggdrasill's Research and Development. Because of Takatora's early mastery of his Rider powers compared to other Armored Riders, this was presumably the first Sengoku Driver initialized. Later abandoned for the Genesis Driver. This version equips the user with a Musou Saber and its holder. *Kaito Kumon/Armored Rider Baron: Purchased from Sid. Later stole a mass-production driver from Ryoma Sengoku's office during his escape from Yggdrasill Tower, and gave it to Zack, the future Armored Rider Knuckle. *Mitsuzane Kureshima/Armored Rider Ryugen: "Purchased" from Sid via using his dark personality to impress/convince Sid into "accidentally leaving behind" a Driver. *Hideyasu Jonouchi/Armored Rider Gridon: Purchased from Sid. Retired its use in favor of a newer model. *Ryoji Hase/Armored Rider Kurokage: Purchased from Sid. Broken due to a stray attack by Zangetsu. (Deceased) *Oren Pierre Alfonzo/Armored Rider Bravo: Confiscated from Sonomura of Team Red Hot, who had purchased it from Sid, as Oren felt he was not worthy of having the Driver. Retired its use in favor of a newer model. Mass-produced version *Kurokage Troopers: Given to employees of Yggdrasill to function as their foot soldiers. *Yggdrasill Corporation Research Members: Given to employees of Yggdrasill to harvest Lockseeds. (Harvesting Driver) *Zack/Armored Rider Knuckle: Stolen from Ryoma Sengoku's office in Yggdrasill Tower by Kaito, who gave it to Zack after stepping down as Team Baron's leader. *Hideyasu Jonouchi/Armored Rider Gridon: Retired his prototype model in favor of a mass-production unit with his old Rider Indicator (most likely to identify the Pre-Arms Suit). *Oren Pierre Alfonzo/Armored Rider Bravo: Retired his prototype model in favor of a mass-production unit with his old Rider Indicator (most likely to identify the Pre-Arms Suit). Other *Bujin Gaim/Armored Rider Bujin Gaim: Unknown. Aesthetically identical to the yellow-belted prototype models, including a unique Rider Indicator. This version equips the user with a Musou Saber and its holder. (Deceased) *Ren Aoi/Armored Rider Fifteen: Prior to joining Badan Empire after his wife's death. Aesthetically identical to the silver-belted mass production models, but with a unique Rider Indicator. (Deceased) *Kogane /Armored Rider Malus: Unknown. Rider Indicators Gaim faceplate.jpg|Gaim Baron faceplate.jpg|Baron Ryugen faceplate.jpg|Ryugen Zangetsu faceplate.jpg|Zangetsu Gritonfaceplate.jpg|Gridon Kurokage faceplate 01.png‎|Kurokage Bravo faceplate 01.png|Bravo Bujingaimfaceplate.jpg|Bujin Gaim 15Faceplate.jpg|Fifteen Golde.PNG|Malus Silve.PNG|Silver Apple Rider Blank_Rider_Indicator.jpg|Blank (Unused/Kurokage Troopers/Knuckle) Gallery Variations & Combinations SDlike02.jpg|Sengoku Driver with no Cutting Blade and Rider Indicator Sengoku Driver + Genesis Core.png|Sengoku Driver combined with the Genesis Core KWMandKLS.jpg|Sengoku Driver combined with the Senyo/Gunyo Joint Squash Rider Kicks Kamen rider gaim 12.mp4 001932.052.jpg|Orange Squash: Burai Kick IBreaker.jpg|Pine Squash: Iron Breaker Burai_Kick.jpeg|Orange & Jimber Lemon Squash: Burai Kick Budou-Kurumi Squash.jpg|Kurumi Squash (right) & Budou Squash: Ryugen Kyaku (left) Energy Attacks Durian colorful light.png|Durian Squash: Durian Danger Sparking: Fruit Shields Soiya! Orange Sparking.jpg|Orange Sparking Behind the scenes Portrayal The voice of the Sengoku Driver, as well as the Musou Saber and the Lockseeds, is provided by . Notes *In an interview with Hyper Hobby, Kamen Rider Gaim producer Naomi Takebe spoke of how she liked that the Riders were all using the same belt, reminding her of Kamen Rider Ryuki, where the Riders all used the V-Buckle belt to transform. Design-wise, she said how she liked the plate on the side that shows the Rider's face. http://henshinjustice.com/2013/09/12/why-gaim-is-an-orange-naomi-takebe-interview/ However, the Riders' Pre-Arms transformation sequences are almost similar to the Riders from Kamen Rider Den-O. *The in Sengoku Driver is one kanji away from being . In this case, the kanji , meaning "country" or "state", is replaced with , meaning "extreme". This, however, is due to the fact that the Driver was directly named after its creator. *Depending on the Rider Indicator, the Sengoku Driver emits a different style of standby music every time a Lockseed is attached onto the Drive Bay and the lock is secured into the Lock On Arm. It also either announces a different word or emits the sound of a guitar riff every time the Cutting Blade is pressed down. **Gaim, Zangetsu, & Kurokage: Japanese horagai music and . **Baron & Gridon: European trumpet music and . **Ryugen: Chinese erhu & gong music and . **Bravo, Knuckle, Kurokage Troopers, Bujin Gaim, & Fifteen: American rock & roll music and a guitar riff. *The Sengoku Driver is similar to the Transforming Gaia Dinosaur Fang Memory, as both require a lever-like attachment to be pushed down between one to three times to access a weapon or ability. *Each of the Sengoku Driver's functions are named after a type of beverage. **Squash: Concentrated syrup. **Au Lait: Coffee with milk. **Sparking: Carbonated water. *The Sengoku Driver is similiar to the from , as it is named after creator. *Gridon and Kurokage's Rider Indicators, when compared to the rest of the Armored Riders, are rather plain-looking. The reason for this is unknown, though due to some of the differences between them and the other Armored Riders, this may be an indication: **Their default forms are based on nuts instead of fruits (Gridon's Donguri Arms is based on an acorn, while Kurokage's Matsubokkuri Arms is based on a pinecone). **Their primary transformation Lockseeds are not A-Classed (Gridon's Donguri Lockseed is Class B, while Kurokage's Matsubokkuri Lockseed is Class C). *The Drivers in Kamen Rider Gaim are similar to the Memory Drivers from Kamen Rider W, as they both have several generations of models. They are also similar in that they are meant to filter a raw power that would otherwise make an individual go insane. *As seen in episode 27, Lockseeds can be used as an alternative food source as Kouta used numerous Himawari Lockseeds in his Sengoku Driver to replenish his strength as he searches for the Overlords. *The Sengoku Driver is the first main Rider Belt since Kamen Rider Kiva that does not contain the name of its series' protagonist Kamen Rider. References